[Chronic thyroiditis with hypothyroidism in patients with Addison's disease]

The authors describe two cases of Schmidt's syndrome (combined idiopathic Addison's disease and chronic autoimmune thyroiditis). In both cases, the damage to the thyroid gland occurred before adrenal pathology. In one case it was associated with overt hypothyrosis and in the other one with subclinical hypothyrosis. It is suggested that these diseases are caused by an autoimmune process, which is supported by demonstration in the blood of both patients of antibodies against thyroid and adrenal tissues.